Posts tagged closures
The eagles and falcons are coming to Boulder Flatirons, open space
Jan 24th
Open Space and Mountain Parks begins seasonal cliff-nesting raptor closures
The City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department is temporarily closing areas in order to protect nesting and roosting raptors. The following areas and formations will be closed from Feb. 1 through July 31:
Golden eagle feeding a chick
- Lefthand Canyon Palisades, at the intersection of Lefthand Canyon Drive and Olde Stage Road (Buckingham picnic area remains open);
- Mount Sanitas, First Buttress, accessible from the Mount Sanitas trailhead, .5 miles west of Fourth Street and Mapleton Avenue (no closures to the bouldering areas along the ridge; Mount Sanitas trail will remain open);
- Gregory Canyon Amphitheater, including the Amphitheater Express Trail and the 3rd Pinnacle (the Amphitheater Trail to Saddle Rock will remain open);
- Third Flatiron, including the East and West Ironing Boards, Queen Anne’s Head and Jaws, and WC Pinnacle, accessible from Chautauqua trailhead;
- Flagstaff Mountain: the north side of Flagstaff Mountain will be closed (the Boy Scout Trail will remain open);
- Skunk Canyon, including Ridge 2, 3 and 4, the Aechean Pronouncement, the Dreadnaught, the North Ridge and the entirety of Sacred Cliffs, accessible from NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- The Back Porch and The Box, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Bear Creek Spire, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Fern Canyon, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road (the designated Fern Canyon hiking trail will remain open);
- Shadow Canyon and the Matron, accessible from the South Mesa Trailhead (the Maiden will remain open and accessible from the east and the designated Shadow Canyon hiking trail will remain open);
- The Sphinx, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Diamond Head and SoBo Buttress, west of Shadow Canyon, accessible from South Mesa Trailhead (South Boulder Peak Trail will remain open);
- The entire Mickey Mouse wall, accessible from the Goshawk Ridge Trail.
High-quality cliff habitat and rich food resources on OSMP lands, as well as community cooperation to protect nesting sites, sustains the mountain backdrop as a regionally important area for nesting falcons and golden eagles. OSMP volunteers and staff have been monitoring raptor nesting and roosting areas since 1984 and the program is an integral part in protecting the species and adaptively managing the closures.
Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to these areas is greatly appreciated. Closures may be lifted early if no raptor activity is observed at these sites.
Up-to-date information on raptor closures and closure maps can be found on the Open Space and Mountain Parks’ Web site: www.osmp.org. or call 303-441-3440.
Weather grounds biking at Boulder’s Valmont Bike Park
Jan 11th
Valmont Bike Park remains closed until further notice
Parks and Recreation Department requests public cooperation in staying off Valmont Bike Park trails to prevent additional damage
Parks and Recreation Department requests public cooperation in staying off Valmont Bike Park trails to prevent additional damage
The Parks and Recreation Department has closed Valmont Bike Park due to poor trail conditions, and is asking for public cooperation to stay off Valmont Bike Park trails to prevent further damage. Recent running, snowboarding, sledding, dog walking and biking on the trails have caused excessive damage to not only the top surfacing material, but to the base layer as well. The maintenance required to repair this damage is costly and time-consuming and will extend the re-opening date of the park due to the extra surfacing maintenance work.
“Our staff is evaluating trail and feature surfacing daily to determine if any areas of the bike park can be opened, and we will notify the public once those areas open,” said Kirk Kincannon, Parks and Recreation Department director. “However, due to moisture deep in the soil and surfacing material, no areas of the park will be opened within the next few days.”
The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA) also urged the public to refrain from using the trails at this time.
“We need your cooperation to protect the coolest bike park on Planet Earth,” said Jason Vogel, BMA president. “Warm weather does not mean Valmont Bike Park is ready to ride. We are contending with upwelling groundwater freezing subsurface as well as snowcover and snowmelt. These conditions are a perfect storm for destroying the park we’ve all worked so hard to make a reality. BMA urges all park users to respect park closures.”
Boulder wavering on unpopular closure rules for public property?
Dec 27th
City to hold public hearing on proposed park closure rule Jan. 3
The City of Boulder will hold a public hearing on a proposed rule that would close parks, parkways, recreation areas and open spaces from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly. The hearing will occur during the already scheduled City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and will be held in Council Chambers, 1777 Broadway.
The public hearing will give community members an additional opportunity to express their views about the proposed rule. The hearing also will provide a forum for council members to ask questions of the city manager and city attorney and provide some direction in light of feedback they have received from their constituents.
The city manager proposed the nighttime closure rule on Dec. 16 because of increasing concerns about safety and health risks associated with encampments and other activities that occur in these locations after dark. The rule would not apply to individuals passing through the affected areas on foot or bicycle – or to events that have been approved through the city’s permitting process. Nor would it prohibit lawful activity, including constitutionally protected activity and political protests, during the remaining 18 hours of the day, between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Unlike most public hearings, council is not currently considering an ordinance related to park closures. The discussion that occurs, however, is likely to shape the city manager’s decision about how to proceed with the rule she has proposed under authority granted to her by Boulder Revised Code.
The decision to hold a public hearing was made today during a Council Agenda Committee meeting. The Council Agenda Committee includes city staff and three council members who look ahead to upcoming meeting agendas and determine how to make the sessions as efficient and productive as possible. Committee participants agreed that a public hearing would result in a more focused discussion, allowing for council questions to be informed by public comment and a staff presentation.
“We recognize that this is an important decision for our community, and the committee felt that this additional opportunity for public input would be valuable,” City Manager Jane S. Brautigam said. “I am looking forward to hearing the perspectives of community members and City Council as we work together to address important health and safety issues.”
In addition to the public hearing, the city has been collecting written comments as part of a 15-day public comment period. Written comments are being accepted by email at parksclosurerule@bouldercolorado.gov or by US mail at Parks Closure Rule, City of Boulder Box 791, Boulder, CO, 80306, until 5 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2012.
